


please picture me in the trees

by taejunbin



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst and Tragedy, Best Friends Choi Soobin & Choi Yeonjun, Best Friends Huening Kai & Kang Taehyun, Blackmail, Choi Soobin-Centric, Dreams and Nightmares, Established Choi Beomgyu/Choi Yeonjun, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, M/M, Minor Huening Kai/Kang Taehyun, Missing Persons, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Choi Soobin, Racism, References to Drugs, Supernatural Elements, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25786789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taejunbin/pseuds/taejunbin
Summary: soobin remembers the day kang taehyun went missing vividly. he also remembers how quickly people were about dismissing the case. he doesn't get why he's so bothered by the whole situation. maybe he has a hero complex, either way, he can't ignore it. it just isn't in him to overlook injustice when there's a small chance he can do something about it. with his mind made up, soobin begins his own investigation to uncover the truth behind kang taehyun's disappearance.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu & Choi Soobin & Choi Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu/Choi Yeonjun, Choi Soobin/Kang Taehyun
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	please picture me in the trees

**Author's Note:**

> please read the tags, i'll mention in the notes before each chapter starts if a heavier subject will be covered but it's still only fair you read the tags and keep them in mind. 
> 
> there is no set schedule for this, i'll be updating whenever i have inspiration.
> 
> title from [seven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEY-GPsru_E) by taylor swift. it is both the inspiration and a hint for this.

soobin remembers the day kang taehyun went missing vividly. it was a crisp autumn morning, red and golden leaves littered over his front yard, the next-door neighbor's dog barked as the usual teenager who delivered their morning paper passed by on their bike. everything was ordinary and yet, there was a stillness in the air; it smothered the community in a very subtle way that no one had even noticed it yet.

nothing really stood out, except the patrol car across the street. the choi's live in a relatively safe neighborhood. nothing really ever happens here so truly, the police officer walking up the kang's driveway is something so out of place that he could never forget it. 

he remembers it all, the local newspaper covering the story, the missing posters scattered on every corner of the small town, the way huening kai, kang taehyun's best friend, arrived at school with a pale face and tear-stained cheeks. soobin didn't personally know kang taehyun, they were neighbors and occasionally greeted each other if they so happen to run into each other in public but other than that, they weren't acquainted. 

and yet, soobin couldn't get him out of his head. 

weeks pass, months, and eventually, a year goes by. the community moves on. never really finding out what truly happened to kang taehyun. the sheriff concluded that he was a runaway and although he barely knew taehyun, soobin highly doubts that was the case; it's all bullshit in his opinion. the whole case was a sham and shoved under the rug far too hurriedly for his liking. it's no wonder the kang's ultimately moved away. even huening kai switched schools, the whispers and stares growing too much for him. it's like everyone that had an emotional attachment to taehyun disappeared with him. 

well, all except soobin. 

soobin doesn't get why he's so bothered by the whole situation. he chalks it up to his empathy levels being too high, his brother beomgyu, however, says he's got a hero complex. either way, soobin just couldn't let it go. it's like something - someone - is stopping him from moving on with the rest of the townspeople. he can't explain it but soobin knows that this is the right thing to do. 

with resolution and stubbornness to match, soobin starts his own investigation. 

it's relatively simple to get information if he's being honest. their town isn't the best when it comes to keeping secrets. a little whiskey here and lots of flattery there and in a matter of hours he's got the local aunties spilling small-town gossip. 

most of it is unrelated things such as the mayor having an affair with his secretary or that the librarian can't stop snorting cocaine during their lunch break. things he doesn't particularly need to know nor care about. it's not until he's almost four drinks in that the topic he's so desperately curious about is brought up. 

"poor taehyunie," one of the aunties murmurs, she's on her third drink. she seems sober but her trembling fingers and dazed expression say otherwise. "he was at the wrong place at the wrong time." 

trying not to appear too interested, soobin takes a sip of his own drink, "what do you mean by that?" 

another auntie speaks up, "taehyun-ah was supposed to be at school, for student council meetings. he is - was - their class president," she pauses, a frown settling on her lips. "mrs. kang mentioned he started staying out later all of a sudden, he didn't explain why only said it was for classes so she never questioned it. taehyun was always an overachiever so it wasn't too out of the ordinary for him to spend more time at school." 

"but what does that have to do with being at the wrong place at the wrong time?" soobin finally questions, putting aside his subtly and physically leaning forward in attention. 

"it's rather obvious isn't?" the first auntie finally responds, "he starts going out later, he's keeping secrets and eventually just vanishes like nothing? something happened to him and i'd bet my monthly salary it's got something to do with that best friend of his." 

that has soobin pausing. he blinks not once but twice before shaking his head in confusion, "you mean _huening kai_ , his best friend?" his tone comes out a little too incredulous which earns him glares from the aunties. 

"of course! how is it that things start to change once he moves into town? suddenly, taehyun isn't as sociable as he used to be. he's withdrawn and only spends time with huening. his grades decreased and his spot as class president was in danger. it's like the only thing he cared for was huening kai," she sneers, shaking her head. "i told him not to trust foreigners, they bring nothing but trouble." 

the aunties continue ranting about some prejudiced propaganda that soobin blocks out as he sits back with his drink in hand. he never thought about huening kai as someone to look into but then again, if he's going to take this seriously he has to cover all the basics which include those who were the closest to taehyun. the kang's moved to the states so he couldn't really look into them right now but huening kai is just a town over, maybe he'll pay him a visit. 

with a shake of his head, soobin finishes his drink and excuses himself. as much as he wants to continue asking questions, his shift at the local diner starts in half an hour, and yeonjun will have his head if he's late. 

a bike ride and change of clothes later, soobin finds himself tending to the lunch rush with a sort of ease that comes with someone who's done this line of work for a long amount of time. although staying in this washed-up town and serving the local townsfolk isn't what he assumed he end up doing after high school, he's fortunate to even have a job. there isn't much going on in their town but soobin would rather stay in his comfort zone than to move away and start over somewhere else.

once the rush is over, customers come in at sporadic times - the regulars who come in for a slice of pie and coffee, nothing too difficult. soobin finally has a chance to unwind a bit behind the register, he stretches his arms over his head, letting out a satisfied hum as his bones feel less tense than before. 

"you smell like cheap bourbon," yeonjun comments, settling next to him and wiping down the counter. "why are you drinking before your shift? scratch that, why are you drinking during the day at all?" 

soobin shrugs, playing with the strings of his work apron. "it's five o'clock somewhere?" yeonjun gives him an unimpressed look, one that usually means he'll be reporting to beomgyu if he isn't honest with him. "oh, fine! i went to visit the aunties, you know, the ones that hang around the church in the town square." 

"you mean the racist and homophobic ones?" yeonjun raises an eyebrow, he's giving him an incredulous expression. "why the fuck would you be around those hags?" 

"can't a man just be kind to the elderly?" soobin defends, cheeks puffed out in annoyance. 

yeonjun opens his mouth to respond but the bell over the door chimes, indicating a new customer. both turn to see beomgyu removing his coat and yanking his cap off before making his way to them. immediately, yeonjun's attention shifts away from interrogating soobin to his loving boyfriend in front of him. 

"baby," beomgyu's voice is incredibly soft as he greets yeonjun before he stands across from them and the register. he moves his gaze to soobin, a smile on his lips as he dips his head to the side, "and hyung." 

"beomgyu-ah," soobin nods in greeting, watching as the other two immediately disregard the rest of the world and only focus on themselves. 

with a sigh, he goes to check on the customers, refilling drinks and picking up dishes. it usually would bother him when beomgyu and yeonjun ignore him. after all, one is his co-worker and best friend while the other is his younger brother. it's not an ideal relationship they have going on, at least for him. though beomgyu was rather pleased about the prospect of them all becoming "family" one day. soobin, on the other hand, doesn't think he can handle those two for the rest of his life. 

however, he's never been this happy to be overlooked right now. yeonjun is his best friend, he trusts the other with his brother and his own life. nevertheless, while he might be there for him and support him, soobin doesn't know if he wants to involve him or beomgyu into his investigation. maybe three pairs of eyes would be better than one but something holds him back, he doesn't know what yet.

shaking his head, soobin continues his shift. by closing time, beomgyu is still around, he's relaxing by on one of the tables near the windows with textbooks spread around him as he works on his university classwork while he and yeonjun close up. soobin ends up losing in rock, paper, scissors which earn him trash duties for the night. sighing incredibly loud, he gathers the trashbags and makes his way out the diner's front door with the sound of beomgyu's giggles silencing once the door closes behind him. 

once done, he starts making his way back in before he pauses as he notices something. it's pretty late, they close at nine so it's around eight fifty as of now. the sun sets around seven so it's rather dark out, only the street lights and the moon illuminate the empty streets. across the diner is the library where the librarian that the aunties were talking about earlier works at. despite the new information he was given about who runs the establishment, what caught his attention is the community board out front and next to the windows. hesitating for only a second, he crosses the street and marches over, stopping in front of it. soobin glances over all the colorful posters, people use the community board to advertise things such as yard sales or place ads for services. soobin ignores all of it and focuses on a single sheet hidden behind an ad for plumbing work. he rips off the other advertisement, tossing it away and halts as taehyun's missing person's poster comes to view. it's been a very long time since he's seen it. when his disappearance was still new, they were placed everywhere. it leaves a bitter taste in soobin's mouth that it's reduced to old news that can easily be hidden behind advertisement as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

he stares at the old poster, the edges are torn and the once pristine white paper is now a faded yellow but even that doesn't hide the face that is printed in black ink. kang taehyun has always been an interesting person, from how he presented himself to the way he looked. his features are sharp, his jaw, cheekbones, nose, and eyes, everything so eye-catching that it was impossible to ignore him. well, that and the fact that he suddenly dyed his hair a striking pink shade a month before he disappeared. he remembers vividly how the aunties threw a fit over it but kang taehyun was never one to care for what anyone else thought of him, that's something soobin admired from afar. 

exhaling, he thinks about taehyun and what might've happened to him. he thinks about how he must've felt, what he went through, and how it all happened. soobin can't help but picture a recent eighteen-year-old taehyun begging for help, bright large eyes pleading for someone to discover the truth. maybe beomgyu is right, maybe he does have a hero complex, either way, he can't ignore it. it just isn't in him to overlook injustice when there's a small chance he can do something about it.

with his mind made up, soobin takes one last look at the boy's face before making his way back to the diner. the moon and the poster being the only ones to witness the silent vow he makes to kang taehyun.


End file.
